title: Risk of stroke due to spontaneous cervical artery dissection.
abstract: Although spontaneous cervical artery dissection (SCAD) is generally a rare contributor to a stroke, this condition triggers a considerable percentage of the strokes that are observed in young to middle-aged patients. We herein report the findings of a patient who presented with a stroke and a severe headache. A diagnosis of SCAD was made following a series of examinations. The patient had high-grade stenosis in the cervical artery and received carotid angioplasty along with stenting. A diagnosis of SCAD should be suspected if a patient who is less than 50 years of age presents with a stroke and a severe headache, and CT or an MRI scan rules out hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, China.
authors.forename: Jianchang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bernard M Y
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D020217:Vertebral Artery Dissection / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*